The statements in the article about the Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, a gay organization, being disinvited from the Western Conservative Summit were quite revealing.

John Andrews, the summit’s chairman and tireless opponent of anything 21st century, said Log Cabin Republicans “advocate contrary to our agenda and our core beliefs.” Log Cabin Republican Michael Carr stated that his political party “wants us in the closet.” Both remarks are completely correct and honest.

However, Jon Caldara, president of the conservative Independence Institute, spoke disingenuously when he said, “There’s a perception that [Republicans are] not friendly to alternative lifestyles.” The perception exists, Mr. Caldara, precisely because the contemporary GOP is not friendly to people with lifestyles that do not comport with its narrowly conceived, conservative ideology.

Those lifestyles, by the way, are not “alternative.” They are real, authentic and, unlike Caldara’s statement, completely honest.

Michael Patrick Eltrich,Denver

This letter was published in the April 18 edition.

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The letter from Republican senators to the government of Iran at a highly sensitive time in negotiations of critical importance to our national security, for the sole purpose of undermining the duly elected (twice) president, marks the Republican Party’s crossing of the line from merely obnoxious and obstructive to dangerous and destructive. Without knowing anything about the terms of a possible agreement, and with no plan of their own, these irresponsible politicians have done nothing but make a difficult situation more difficult.

And congratulations to Sen. Cory Gardner, one of the signers, for taking less than two months in office to abandon his campaign promise of bipartisanship.

Jack L. Smith,Evergreen

This letter was published in the March 12 edition.

All those excoriating Sen. Cory Gardner for attempting to deter nuclear proliferation should remember that Rep. Nancy Pelosi led a group of Democrats to Syria to bash George W. Bush to Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader. And that Democrats interfered with President Reagan’s handling of the Communist Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. The critics’ hypocrisy is amazing. Gardner is protesting a nuclear issue, a survival issue. The president is negotiating with a terrorist nation and is about to hand Iran nuclear weapons. His national security adviser, Susan Rice, has publicly stated a ‘bad deal is better than no deal,’ and Obama agrees. Our senator would be remiss in his duty were he not to speak out against this travesty.

Anthony T. Accetta,Denver

This letter was published in the March 12 edition.

It is interesting to note how much the Democrats’ rhetoric on the letter to Iran from 47 Republicans resembles that of the Republicans following Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Syria. Further, Iran seems unmoved by the antics of this group of political amateurs, so I suspect there is no appreciable damage to the president’s ability to conduct foreign policy.

There is, however, appreciable damage; it is to any remaining belief that our country is a well-managed entity in the hands of reasonable, competent people. Ultimately, this is our fault. We must no longer send people to elected office because of what they believe; we must send people informed by their beliefs who will act in good faith with others who do not necessarily believe as they believe to faithfully and competently conduct the business of the United States.

William Lee,Evergreen

This letter was published in the March 12 edition.

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There is no conflict between getting big government out of our lives and holding the educational establishment accountable for performance and spending. While there is merit in modest local flexibility — statewide standards are appropriate in K-12 education — what Colorado should minimize is federal involvement in our kids’ schools. Federal meddling in education is inappropriate and unconstitutional. The Department of Education, with its $70 billion budget, is the epitome of big government; it should be abolished. But schools will remain a government responsibility for the foreseeable future and therefore it is incumbent on those who control the purse strings to ensure that education is done effectively and efficiently.

Part of maximizing effectiveness is giving teachers the proper incentives through tenure reform and merit pay, two policies that teachers unions — which care only for their own income and power — aggressively oppose.

Having credible state-level regulation of schools is an important job of Colorado’s legislature. Doing that job is not at all contradictory of Republicans’ desire to keep the federal government and its stifling, one-size-fits-all approach as far away from our classrooms as possible.

Ross G. Kaminsky,Nederland

This letter was published in the March 1 edition.

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The obstacle to immigration reform is not the path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill that included a path to citizenship, supported by a historic coalition of business and labor, farmworkers and agricultural producers, evangelicals and Catholics.

Voters overwhelmingly support the bill. Colorado Republican voters support earned citizenship even more strongly than Democrats, when specifics are given (immigrants must pay a penalty, learn English, pass a criminal background check, pay taxes, and wait a minimum of 13 years), according to a November poll at renewoureconomy.org.

In January, House Speaker John Boehner introduced a plan without a path to citizenship.

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and others still blasted it as “amnesty,” and opposition among House Republicans killed it within days. Among those who opposed Boehner’s plan: Our own Rep. Cory Gardner.

The U.S. House is the real obstacle to fixing our broken immigration system. We will continue fighting until we achieve true comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.

Patricia Robles, Denver

The writer is vice president of property services for the Service Employees International Union, Local 105.

This letter was published in the Dec. 2 edition.

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Was this commentary supposed to reflect the Republican agenda for the next two years? If so, why should the American people expect anything different to happen in Washington?

The authors claim that Republicans are going to restore trust in our government and return to regular order. What a joke! The GOP has done nothing to instill trust, or to suggest they have the desire or the wherewithal to address the major issues that face this country.

The list of issues in the essay look like a dusted-off version of a political platform from the 1980s, except for Obamacare and the Keystone Pipeline. There are no practical or creative solutions in any of these summaries. But why should we expect anything else?

Over the last six years, the Republican Party has obsessed with blocking appointments and railing against Obamacare, rather than passing legislation that would improve the lives of most Americans. It’s clear that the issue of immigration, important to many Americans, won’t even get serious consideration.

Patrick Horton, Denver

This letter was published in the Nov. 29 edition.

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President Obama speaks about his executive action on U.S. immigration policy at Del Sol High School on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas. Obama outlined a plan on Thursday to ease the threat of deportation for about 4.7 million people. (Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

I own and operate a business. Recently one of my employees came to me demanding to spend a large sum of my money illegally aiding and abetting criminals, and claimed that he shouldn’t suffer any repercussions. I explained that we have established rules and regulations against this kind of action.

He said he has a pen and a phone, and since this is what he wanted, it doesn’t matter about the rules or the law.

I asked him why I shouldn’t fire him. He replied that The Post suggested that such a response would be “draconian” and would “torpedo my chance to be more productive.”

Long story short: He wanted me to ask if you guys are hiring. (Fair warning: He’ll probably be wanting health coverage, too.)

Jimi McFarland, Arvada

This letter was published in the Nov. 25 edition.

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I applaud The Denver Post’s editorial urging compromise on immigration, tax reform and health care. These are issues on which both Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on several points to resolve problems and make adjustments in the bills and laws relating to these matters. All responsible news media should be encouraging the parties to work together.

While praising The Post for advocating compromise, I am unable to find the logic in its having endorsed Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman, both of whom, as congressmen, joined with the right wing of the House of Representatives in refusing to compromise with the administration on hardly anything. Even if these congressmen have softened some of their positions out of political expediency, their election still lends to the strength of the party, which has anathematized compromise as a matter of principle. Can or will the Republican Party change its spots?

John Kitchens, Littleton

This letter was published in the Nov. 11 edition.

As some political strategists are now saying, this election victory for the GOP is a second chance, not a mandate. It is time for the GOP to have a real plan and implement it.

In medicine, it is generally true that if you don’t notice your body, it is probably working well. The same thing is true of our government. When our government is not causing us pain, it is probably working as intended.

Over the last 100 years the government has become painful to the average citizen. Not only that, but the pain is increasing. From problems with the IRS to the overreach of government agencies, our freedom is eroding. Isn’t it time for our government to follow the tenets of the U.S. Constitution and do what the Founding Fathers had in mind, not what an overzealous political agenda has been dictating?

When our government becomes painless, we will know it is working correctly.

William F. Hineser, Arvada

This letter was published in the Nov. 11 edition.

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House Speaker John Boehner listens as President Obama speaks during a bipartisan luncheon last Thursday. (Jim Watson, Getty)

Instead of House Speaker John Boehner doing his tough-guy posturing with President Obama regarding a possible executive order on immigration, Boehner should take to task the House holdouts on the bipartisan immigration bill that the Senate approved and he pushed. He should tell that group, “Do not for a minute believe we have a full mandate here. If you want to keep us in control and heading for a win in 2016, we need to pass that immigration bill. Do not cost us what we just won or I can promise we will not do any compromising with you.” All Congress has to do is do their job by passing an immigration bill, and an executive order by the president is null and void.

Renee Farrar, Lakewood

This letter was published in the Nov. 10 edition.

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In this election, a “red tsunami” has swept the nation. There can be no doubt that the results are a referendum on President Obama’s failed policies and the wrong direction he has taken the nation. He can no longer try to place the blame elsewhere. The true winners of this election are “we the people” and the constitutional separation of powers. Obama ignored the message after the 2010 election when the Democrats lost the House.

Will the president become more pragmatic and negotiate in good faith with Congress or will he continue to be a stubborn ideologue? If he doesn’t change, with all the problems the nation faces both domestically and internationally, the nation will suffer.

We the people are tired of excuses. We shall see.

Peter Bruno, Arvada

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

My sense is that this election was about misplaced anger and apathy. Exit polls showed that voters were angry about their economic situation. It’s easy to blame the most visible person out there, the president, and then punish the candidates in the president’s party. The sad truth is that this anger is misplaced. These angry voters elected the candidates who care little about the average person and the ones who are the very reason for the decline of the middle class. And then there is voter apathy. A lot of people didn’t vote, for whatever reason; they were too busy, they don’t feel that their vote makes a difference, or they feel helpless and resigned to a system that is rigged against them. That is the tragic story of this election. Either way, if you expect this election to improve things over the next few years, good luck with that.

Rick Sharpnack, Denver

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

The Democrats deserve their defeat for being the spineless milquetoasts that they are. Our economy is rolling again. Gas prices are the lowest in years. Interest rates continue to be the lowest in years. Inflation remains low. Unemployment continues its precipitous drop. The deficit is in decline. Obamacare isn’t the disaster predicted by the GOP. We are mostly extricated from Iraq and Afghanistan and are pursuing what most believe to be a judicious approach to the Islamic State crisis. I heard none of this in Democratic campaigning. Pursuing the women’s vote was the strategy from their handlers.

This has led to handing over power to the very party that got us into the most recent messes we’ve put in our rearview mirror.

The Democrats should have been touting President Obama and the facts, rather than fleeing.

Bill Starks, Arvada

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

With the election of Cory Gardner, Colorado can now look forward to having no net Senate voice, as we can expect Gardner and Sen. Michael Bennet to spend most of their efforts canceling out each other’s vote. As taxpayers, we would be much better served by closing both their offices, cashiering their overpaid staffs of sycophants, yes-men and political junkies, and vacating both seats until such time as they are no longer both held by members of opposite parties.

Liam Montflor, Parker

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

In the year 2014, I honestly didn’t think it was any longer possible for a candidate for public office to run a clean campaign free of negative advertising and still get elected. I truly believed those days were over. So I’m pleased that Gov. John Hickenlooper was able to prove it can still be done. Whether you like or dislike Hickenlooper, no one can deny that in an anti-incumbent election year that heavily favored the other party, he ran a clean campaign, left the mudslinging to others, and it worked. Perhaps future candidates will take note.

Josh Brodbeck, Denver

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

The citizens of Colorado have lost one of their greatest advocates in our federal government system — Sen. Mark Udall. I am a widow of a former Rocky Flats worker who died of cancer in 2008. Udall was tireless in his efforts to help families obtain compensation for the loss of loved ones and medical care for those workers who were sick and dying. No meeting was too small. I remember him or a member of his staff attending many meetings of fewer than 50 people to encourage and guide us in our efforts. We were not the rich and powerful who could be counted on to fund campaigns. We were simply the people of this state who needed help.

Udall was among the first to herald the illegal activities of the National Security Agency after the Edward Snowden revelations. I am afraid few others will have the fortitude to protect citizen privacy on this important issue.

Charlene Willey, Westminster

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

I have a complaint about the new voting rules. I am against mail-in ballots in principle, and have always voted in person if at all possible. In the past there has been a polling place in our neighborhood, usually at the nearest school. This year there were no polling places in Roxborough, where I live, so I had to drive about 15 miles into Highlands Ranch to find a polling place. Then it took the poll worker about 10 minutes to verify my name in their computer system. In the past, the workers had lists available and could check my name in mere seconds.

Richard Postma, Littleton

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

Being a civil servant used to mean serving the people. Today a position in political office is many times just a meal ticket which finds elected officials constantly running for their next position instead of actually performing the job they were elected to do. Free elections should not be decided by repulsive television ads and millions of dollars spent by the few, but instead by a vote of the people, after actually understanding what each candidate stands for on real issues.

Nothing will change in politics, left or right, until all money is removed from the equation. If ours is really a democracy, no one person or group should have more monetary influence on our elections than any other.

Who knows, remove the money from politics and we might actually get elected officials who listen to the American people instead of those who constantly chase campaign contributions.

Patrick Pasinski, Denver

This letter was published in the Nov. 9 edition.

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In your editorial on Cory Gardner’s win, you rightly affirm Republican momentum, Mark Udall’s campaign mistakes and Gardner’s youthful energy and expressiveness. What is not addressed is the victory of “me the people” over “we the people.”

In an NPR interview, Gardner listed his well-known “me the people” agenda of certain freedoms, tax advantages for some, and his values that he wants to achieve, helping bury the long-forgotten affirmation of “we the people” who are in this together for each other.

And while the media direct all the anger at the president, on Tuesday, the U.S. Congress just became even more dysfunctional and divided. Hopefully “we the people” will step up and work together to counter this growing wealth-driven dysfunction and divisiveness.

Bill Calhoun, Denver

This letter was published in the Nov. 6 edition.

Many pundits will tell you that the Republican takeover of the Senate was caused by lethargy in large blocs of Democratic and independent voters. Those groups, they say, bought into the claim that both parties were responsible for congressional gridlock, and that there is no significant difference between the parties, so why bother to vote.

But now the curtains have been drawn back to reveal just how well Republicans can run the government they hate so much. They have two years to prove their mettle. Their record so far doesn’t lead me to expect much after they shut down the government last year, stopped payment on the debt they helped create, did nothing to reduce income disparity and voted 53 times to repeal Obamacare with nothing substantive to offer in its place.

Democrats everywhere must be licking their chops in anticipation of the 2016 elections.

Bob Kropfli, Golden

This letter was published in the Nov. 6 edition.

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Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.